CHAPTER 2
“When a monster flattens your home, it doesn’t matter who built it.”
The room froze for a timeless moment. Finally Klaus slowly shook his head, his great hands balled into tight fists. His eyes gleamed with controlled fury. “One rule, Beetle. I made one rule when I left you in charge of this city. ‘Report all unusual discoveries. Devices of the Other are to be turned over to me immediately.’ You agreed.”
The smaller man shook with rage. “A pledge made under duress is worthless, Wulfenbach! You threatened my city, my university— I’d have agreed to anything! You were in control then.”
Klaus raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “And now?”
Suddenly from above came a CRACK—that shook the building. A white line appeared near the ceiling and spread, revealing itself to be the open sky, as with a thunderous groan, the roof was lifted open upon monstrous hinges by the towering figure of Mr. Tock. His eyes glowed and steam poured from his moustache as a vast hand reached in and aimed an array of fingertip nozzles at the Baron and his son. A voice like a pipe-organ boomed, “DO NOT MOVE.”
Beetle drew himself up and a triumphant grin crossed his features. “Now I am in control!” He followed this statement with a burst of laughter that showed that the owner had done a fair share of gloating in his time, and had the basics down pat. “What do you think of that?”
The Baron and his son stared up at the colossus for a moment, then eyed each other, as if each were embarrassed at the thought of speaking first. Finally the Baron cleared his throat and said, “Yes, Gil, what do you think of that?”
Gilgamesh looked furiously at his sire. “Are you joking? This is another test?”
Klaus shook his head. “No, no—He’s quite serious. But I am interested in your analysis.”
At this Dr. Beetle burst out with a startled “Hey!” which the two politely ignored.
Gil rolled his eyes and shifted the fishbowl to his other hand. The fish grinned. Gil sighed. “Oh very well. If we directly attack him, the clank kills us. But if he kills us, our clanks will finish him. An apparent standoff.”
The Tyrant cackled. “Correct! Now—”
Gil wheeled on him in annoyance. “Oh shut up before you embarrass yourself any further!” Beetle sputtered in shock as Gil continued. “Being a short man,” he gestured significantly at the looming clank, “he places too much importance on size.”
“I’M NOT THAT SHORT,” Beetle screamed and futilely attempted to kick Gil in the ankle.
Gil ignored him and continued. “Thus the use of the one, slow, unwieldy, but impressively large clank, instead of surprising us with a squad of the faster but smaller units that are no doubt surrounding the building.”
“And excuse me, but I do still have the drop on you.” This contribution was also ignored.
“He has thus ‘Put all his eggs in one basket,’ confident that he could contain our group.”
“As I have!” the Tyrant screamed.
Gil looked pityingly at the smaller man. “A viable strategy perhaps. If we had come alone.”
An explosion rocked the building and all heads whipped upward in time to see half of Mr. Tock’s face explode in a cloud of smoke and metal shards. The giant automaton wobbled slightly, then, like a great brass tree, slowly fell over sideways out of sight, though the sound of his hitting the ground left nothing to the imagination, and the entire building shuddered from the impact. A few seconds later, a rain of metal shards pattered to the floor. In the sky overhead floated a fleet of military airships, all sporting the Wulfenbach crest on their sides.
“Tock!” cried Beetle in an agonized voice.
Klaus outlined the size of the forces overhead: “The Third Airborne, the Seventh Groundnaut Mechanical, and the Jägermonsters. Can we end this now?”
“Guards!” Beetle yelled. The Baron’s party rolled their eyes.
The Jägermonster sneered. “Now he calls for de guards?”
Gilgamesh shrugged. “Yes, well… make it quick.”
The main doors to the labs crashed open as a squad of Beetleburg’s feared Watch marched into the room in perfect step. Each unit raised its left gun arm in perfect unison and they all chanted “Stand!” in four part harmony. They were instantly mowed down by the hail of armor-piercing bullets from the machine cannons of the two Wulfenbach clanks.
As the last bits of metal rained down, the Jägermonster gave the order to cease fire. “Dem,” he remarked, “dat vas easy.”
Klaus looked disgusted. “They were the best self-contained fighting machines on the planet—When they were new!”
Beetle looked stunned. “My… my Watch!”
“Time marches on, Beetle; you remained behind. Well, by now the city should be secure—”
Beetle snapped back into the present. “This is an invasion? Blast it, Klaus, this is my city!”
The Baron looked contemptuous. “Wrong. It became my city ten years ago. I merely let you administer it.”
“But… but…” Beetle gestured, “But why?”
Klaus’ eyes narrowed. “Withholding a Hive Engine isn’t enough?”
“But that would mean…” Beetle stared at Klaus. “Before Merlot… You already knew!”
Klaus idly looked out the window. Screams and explosions could be heard faintly through the glass. “A field team has a sudden ‘communications breakdown’ followed by several ‘accidents.’ The river is cordoned off for a night, the laboratory schedules are suddenly rearranged. If you analyze the last week’s chemical requisitions, as well as the dramatic increase of the price of honey in this sector…”He slammed his fist down on the window sill. “Of course I knew!” For the first time an expression of regret crossed his features. “I had hoped I was wrong, old friend, but…” He sighed, “Ah, well.”
Suddenly Agatha appeared at the Baron’s elbow. “Please, Herr Baron, don’t kill him! We need him!”
Klaus closed his eyes. “Where do they get these ideas?” he muttered. “Beetle, the loyalty of the rest of your people does you credit. They can rest assured that I have no intention of killing you. Indeed, I have use for you.”
If this was meant to be reassuring to the smaller man, it had the opposite effect. His eyes went wide and his face paled. “No!” His initial strangled whisper changed to a scream: “I’ll never submit to being one of your experimental subjects! Never!” As he said this, his hand grabbed one of the stylized, beetle-shaped cloak clasps on his chest and ripped it off. As it came free, it snapped open into the deadly shape of one of the Tyrant’s feared seeker drones. It still resembled a beetle, but this one was sleek, armored, and its’ brass needles gleamed. The Jägermonster snarled and tried to bring his weapon up, but before he could, Beetle launched the device towards Gil, Klaus and Agatha, shouting, “You won’t get me! You won’t get any of us!”
Calmly, Gilgamesh tossed the goldfish bowl up high into the air. Pivoting in place he swept a large wrench off a nearby bench and, continuing the motion, smashed the flying device in midair. Clattering and sparking, it pinwheeled back into Beetle’s face.
Gil then dropped the wrench, caught the falling fishbowl, grabbed a startled Agatha and pulled her to the ground while yelling, “Down!”